CHICAGO — On the International Trans Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to the celebration and liberation of the trans community worldwide, two of Chicago's leading trans organizations have collaborated to announce a Trans Relief Fund to assist members of the Trans community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will be administered jointly by staff at Brave Space Alliance, and members of the Trans Liberation Collective, and will distribute money electronically via PayPal or CashApp to individuals that apply online using a form detailing their needs.
As the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago continue to take extensive measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, some of the most vulnerable members of the trans community are left without places to turn as bills continue to mount. Motivated by a refusal on the part of state and local governments to call for a moratorium on rent and mortgage payments, and a failure on the part of utility companies to suspend bill payments for the upcoming Spring months, the relief fund will dole out payments of up to $200 per individual to meet basic or specific needs.
Brave Space Alliance and the Trans Liberation Collective announced they were seeking donations through a PayPal account dedicated to the Fund, so that the organizations could begin serving the community as soon as possible.
Brave Space Alliance is the region's only Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ center, and serves Black and Brown community members on the South and West sides of Chicago. Brave Space has been lauded for their recent rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic through their Crisis Pantry, which received attention from former President Barack Obama earlier this month. The Trans Liberation Collective was formed in March of 2017 while organizing the most massive trans-specific protest in Midwest history, over the Trump administration's removal of protections for trans students in public schools. The two groups have worked extensively together since that time.
—From a press release